A lorry driver who killed a woman and three children while scrolling through music on his mobile phone has been jailed for 10 years. Tomasz Kroker, 30, ploughed into a stationary car at 50mph on the A34 near Newbury, Berkshire, in August 2016.
The victims were Tracy Houghton, 45, her sons Ethan, 13, and Josh, 11, and her stepdaughter Aimee, 11. They died instantly when their car was crushed under Kroker's lorry. The tragedy was witnessed by Tracy's partner, Mark Goldsmith, who was in a separate vehicle.
The court heard that Kroker spent about 45 seconds looking at his phone, barely glancing at the road for almost a kilometre. Dashcam footage showed he only looked up 0.75 seconds before impact, with horror on his face. He had signed a declaration an hour earlier promising not to use his phone while driving.
Sentencing, Judge Maura McGowan said Kroker's attention was so poor he 'might as well have had his eyes closed'. Kroker had initially claimed his brakes failed, but later admitted distraction after being shown dashcam footage. He pleaded guilty to four counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one of causing serious injury.
Outside court, Aimee's mother, Kate Goldsmith, said the sentence 'did not do justice to the crime committed', adding that Kroker's phone use turned his lorry into a 'lethal weapon'. The case has highlighted concerns about an 'epidemic of handheld phone use' by drivers, with the RAC warning that fewer drivers are being caught.
